Cretas Monarchy
The Cretas Monarchy is one of the major factions of Perisno. It occupies the steppes of east-central Perisno, and is bordered by the Reich des Drachen to the north and west, Drahara to the south, and the giants to the east. The Cretas Monarchy is ruled by King Aolas. Lore When the Reich des Drachen invaded Perisno in the year 363, the Cretas Monarchy was but an idea dancing about in Aolas' head. As a bandit of the Illica Falki heritage, Aolas had become one of the most successful and wealthy outlaws in the land. In addition to his wealth, Aolas had an upstanding reputation among the Illicans, and despite being a raider at heart, he always treated his men with respect and fairness. As the Reich unloaded its armada on the northern shore of Perisno, Aolas recognized that the Illica Falki were not prepared to defend their territory against this new threat. Realizing that his time as a raider had run its course, Aolas set off with a sizeable contingent of loyal men, including his honorable son, Kafak. Aolas and his men rode for many days and nights until they hit neutral territory, just out of the snowy lands of the Reich's claim. Although they had evaded the reach of the major kingdoms, the local Saccar Raiders still posed a threat to Aolas and his men. Thus, Aolas decided to make use of the fortune he had amassed through his days as a powerful outlaw and mercenary and built a grand fortress on the edge of the steppe. Upon its completion, Aolas declared himself king, marking the official beginning of the Cretas Monarchy as a sovereign state. With his son at his side as his heir and advisor, he implemented sweeping military changes, called the Sciathan Reforms, that revolutionized the composition of the Cretasan army to counter the armies of the surrounding kingdoms. The reforms particularly emphaszied the role of spearmen and heavy armor in the army, for explicit protection against heavy Reich cavalry like the Drachen Dragoners. Cavalry was also phased out of use, which was a big change for these ex-Illican soldiers. However, the emphasis on foot combat would make the Cretasan tougher to overcome in the event of a siege of their home castle. Sure enough, the Reich did not let Aolas escape without a fight. In the year 364, once the Reich had stabilized their hold on northern Perisno, Kaiser Otto IV authorized for a war party to be sent after the ex-Illicans. Aolas Castle was besieged by over 1,000 Drachen troops, however, the Reich generals struggled to find a weakness in the Cretasan defense. The siege lasted for many weeks, but due to Aolas' great preparation, the castle was easily able to sustain his troops during this time. Meanwhile, the Reich were suffering moderate attritional losses as scouts and spies were picked off by Cretasan defenders, and some Illica men who came to help their kinsman. Eventually, Kaiser Otto called off the siege and the Reich retreated back north, leaving the Cretas Monarchy to celebrate their first victory against a major power. A year later, Aolas finds himself the popular head of the state he once could only dream to create. He and his son have taken it on themselves to protect this new culture, and are not afraid to battle the strongest of opponents if it comes to protecting the Cretasan people. Government Lords * King Aolas * Knyaz Kafak Military An in-depth guide to the Cretas Monarchy's troops can be found here. Strengths * Strong spearman are good against heavy cavalry charges * Archers use unique high-damage bows * Ironclad troops are very resistant to ranged fire due to excellent shields Weaknesses * Most troops are very susceptible to ranged weapons due to lack of shields * Infantry struggles in offensive sieges and other combat in tight spaces * Relatively low-level noble troops Territories Castles *Aolas Castle (capital) Villages * Notloc Category:Factions Category:Cretas Monarchy